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You Gave Me a Mountain

Rating:
4.5 / 5

Words & Music: Marty Robbins

Born in the heat of the desert
My mother died giving me life
Deprived of the love of a father
Blamed for the loss of his wife
You know Lord I've been in a prison
For something that I never done
It's been one hill after another
I've climbed them all one by one

But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn't just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time

My woman got tired of heartaches
Tired of the grief and the strife
So tired of working for nothing
Just tired of being my wife
She took my one ray of sunshine
She took my pride and my joy
She took my reason for living
She took my small baby boy

But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn't just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time

Recordingdate: 1973/01/14, first released on: Aloha from Hawaii (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of You Gave Me a Mountain:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)

Others*

(baton)
(organ)
(vocals)
(percussion)
(clarinet)
(flute)
(sax)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with You Gave Me a Mountain.

old shep wrote on May 12, 2008
A big hit for Frankie Laine, the song was handed to him by his good friend Marty Robbins. But Elvis' made the song his own on the Aloha concert and to me his will always be the definitive version.
My boy, my boy wrote on August 26, 2008
I've read that Elvis absolutely loved this song but personally, even if I do find the lyrics meaninful, I've never been hooked that much on the melody...
ta2k wrote on August 26, 2008
A constant in my all-time favourites list. Absolutely brilliant. I know the words relate to a Boy by I always imagine that Elvis is singing this about Priscilla and Lisa Marie. No one on earth could sing a song like this to compare to Elvis. Not on Earth and not on the Moon. TCB
JerryNodak wrote on August 26, 2008
The first time I ever heard Elvis sing this song was when I saw EOT back in '72. I love the EOT version, but my favorite is from "Aloha."
JLpResLey wrote on August 26, 2008
The Aloha version is awesome, but I think the best version was from On Tour and the Hampton Roads show. That was an incredible show, that show is so much better than Aloha. One version that I also love is from Desert Storm. About the song. Very, very good performance by Elvis. The song itself is not that special, Elvis makes it special. That´s a big difference
Steve V wrote on August 26, 2008
Song is good and Elvis made it special. The Aloha version is powerful. But why was he still doing this in 1977 and yet again on another TV special? It certainly wasnt better than Aloha. Proves as an artist he was not progressing but basically doing the same show for years and not getting better at it.
Natha wrote on August 26, 2008
Just fantastic. The emotion of the song is beautifully transmitted to the listener. As one of the highlights of a show it seems to reflect the whole admosphere in and around Elvis. Always look forward to and enjoy the song on a concert.
Jim Hoff wrote on August 26, 2008
Great song and most of the time a strong performance from E., but to me 'Mountain' also symbolises Elvis' downfall after divorcing Priscilla. From then on it was mostly 'Mountains' in the King's life.
dressingroomrehearsa wrote on August 26, 2008
heard a version on youtube, where adresses one line directly to Priscilla, saying: "Listen, Cilla...!" A dramatic and tragic song...if linked with his own life back then.
marty wrote on August 26, 2008
Marty Robbins (my favourite singer after the King & a superb songwriter as well) wrote it and as he mentioned in an interview it was based on things that happened in his own life. Sometimes in the late 70's (or late 60's) Marty Robbins made a deal with Elvis publishers hoping that Elvis would record some of his songs. He got his reward when Elvis recorded 'You Gave Me A Mountain' in 1972. It is a song that obviously had a personal meaning for Elvis with the way his personal life was going during this period. Elvis made this song his own with the way he performed it in so many times in concert. One of my favourite songs from the 70's.
Lex wrote on August 26, 2008
Mediocre song, but the way Elvis treated it made it something special. Still it is not among my favourites.
MJB63 wrote on October 29, 2009
I've never heard Elvis do a bad version of this song.No matter what year from 72' to 77'.This was always a concert hit.
pasa-ryu wrote on October 29, 2009
awsome song and well sung by Elvis wherever he performed live(vegas or on tour)..my favourate version apart from the 1972 'on tour' version has to be the rapid city,south dakota,may 1977 "Elvis in Concert" tv special live version-he sings it with real emotion and makes you feel as if he knew his time was up and he couldnt climb anymore mountains.(especially when he sang 'my way' at the same concert)i also liked the "desert storm" 1974 version where he says to the audience the song has absloutely nothing to do with his ex-wife priscilla!!-i beleive it did something personal to Elvis and his performance of the song in september 1974 and may 1977 proves this fact.
Rob Wanders wrote on October 29, 2009
I love every version of this song. That means I really like this song. If I have to choose I go for the Elvis in Conert 1977 version.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
This is such a brilliant and heartbreaking song and all of Elvis' renditions of it are spectacular. It's easily one of my most favorite songs that Elvis only sang in the 1970's.
sugartummy wrote on June 08, 2013
The original by Marty Robbins is quite boring, but Elvis sang his heart out on this one. The Aloha version is the best I guess.
Deano1 wrote on May 28, 2015
One of the very best from Elvis in the 70's. Elvis sings the sad lyrics beautifully and really makes you feel the words. He got a little sloppier with it after the Aloha special, but it was still a concert highlight whenever it was included. I like the "Elvis In Concert" version, but it does not equal or surpass the Aloha version (5 stars!).
Gorse wrote on September 06, 2015
A song he seemed to be living each time he performed it. The pulsating live performance in the 1973 special was hard to beat, but I liked the slightly more controlled February 16 1972 Vegas performance almost as much - 4 stars.
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